Sharak Sanzo
The 28th of Arhat,' Sharak Sanzo' (紗烙 三蔵), in Saiyuki Reload Blast, is the last remaining Sanzo to be accounted for. At the time that the Sanzo Party arrives in India she, along with Genjo Sanzo and Ukoku Sanzo (presently going by Dr. Ni,) is one of the three Sanzos still living. She is also, thus far revealed, the only female Sanzo ever to appear in the Saiyuki Universe. Sharak is charged with one of the Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon, or Founding Scriptures of Heaven and Earth. Hers is the Koten Scripture, which others have said to govern the Unknown and the Infinite, yet which she says is charged with Defense. Personality Sharak Sanzo doesn't want to be treated like a female. Under construction... Appearance Sharak Sanzo appears to be manly woman with abs and muscles. She has violet long hair with long side bangs on her left and has on right. She has violet(?) eyes. She has two scars on her face, one to the left and one to the right. She also have a scar on her left of her shoulder. Draped over on her right shoulder is the Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon. Her robe and black under-armor and gloves is similar to Genjo Sanzo. She has an animal tail on her back similar to Hassan's hat with a tail. Background Little is known about her as of now. She has a fortress in the Himalayas of India. A militia of men led by a man named Hassan protects both this fortress and her person. Sharak herself is covered in scars both on her body and on her face, and possess a gun somewhat larger than that of Genjo Sanzo. She is also Genjo's senior by ten years, making her thirty-four years old at the time that she appears in the series. She, as he does, seeks council and instruction from the gods, the Three Aspects. It is only their commands that kept her from amassing an army and attacking Houtou Castle herself. However, thus being unable to attack, she protects the people who still live in the area. Sharak has the ability to create barriers to protect large areas of people from youkai attacks. This is a skill that was boasted in previous Saiyuki arcs by supposed religious leaders, such as Soushin, but was never actually done. It is remarked that the sheer ground that Sharak’s barriers cover is incredible. However, these barriers require receivers at different points (as a chain needs links) and if even one of these receivers should break, so does the barrier. Once broken, it takes Sharak about an hour be able to resurrect the barrier and it can only be resurrected in its entirety. It is assumed that Sharak learned these skills while training alongside Hassan to become a Sanzo priest in a similar environment to Saiyuki Ibun. Relationships Hassan - He is the leader of Sharak Sanzo's militia, and is fiercely loyal to her. He also have some romantic feelings for her. The two of them trained together to become Sanzo priests (presumably in a similar institution as is shown in Saiyuki Ibun). Although Sharak, and not Hassan, was granted the Sanzo name, Hassan swore an oath never to leave her side and to serve her always. However, this seemingly platonic facade cracks sometimes, as it does when Hassan becomes deeply jealous of Genjo Sanzo’s interactions with Sharak. However, he repents that his jealousy got the better of him, and mutters that he really is “a terrible subordinate.” Genjo Sanzo - He is the only other Sanzo that Sharak has ever met. The two meet by instantly putting each other at gunpoint. Satisfied with his reaction, she smirks, and welcomes him and his companions to the West. Then, while their mutual companions mingle, the two Sanzos sit alone and debrief each other on what they have learned. Both similar in character, manner, and presence, they seem to immediately hold a mutual respect for each other. Sharak even complements Genjo, saying that, by surviving this far, and enduring this much, he has performed much better than she expected of him. Later, when the two accidently activate their sutras at the same time they notice a “resonance” between the two. Desiding that it is too dangerous to allow the sutras to be active around eachotehr, they agree to not let it happen again. Though, each admits begrudgingly, it would be interesting to see what happened. Weapons/Abilities Note: under construction and revision. Trivia * Previously, we have seen one appearance of Sharak Sanzo, from behind, in a Group Shot of all the Saiyuki Girls. Here too she is heavily armed. * Some fans believe that the fact that Sharak is badly scared and that half her face is hidden by her hair is a refection of the manga creator herself, Kazuya Minekura, who went through major surgery before the character's appearance in the plot, and that the female Sanzo is an expression of herself in the story. Category:Characters